Postcards



United States Patent 3,259,304 POSTCARDS Lawrence F. Tichnor, Brookline,Mass. (76 Atherton St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.) Filed May 25, 1965, Ser.No. 458,647 5 Claims. (Cl. 229-92.8)

The present invention rel-ates to postcards and more particularly to amultiple function postcard device for effi cient display and sale ofpostcards. The device of this invention greatly reduces cost ofproduction and vending of postcards while enhancing the sales appeal ofthe postcards to the consumer.

Picture postcards have for a long time been in widespread use throughoutthe world. Such cards are often produced by lithographing or otherwisereproducing scenic or other graphic illustrations on one side of a largesheet and printing informational material on the rear side. The sheet isthen divided as by cutting at the factory to form individual cards. Eachcard is then banded along with other identical cards and sold tomechandisers. Retail mechandisers normally display and vend such picturepostcards in racks having individual compartments for identical cards.

Production and vending of picture postcards as individual units hascertain disadvantages. The price of cutting, banding and boxing aplurality of identical cards in saleable packages is high. Moreover, theconventional compartmented display racks are expensive. These racksnecessarily require large rack surface areas and consequently speciallydesigned bulky racks. Servicing of such racks by the retailer orsupplier necessarily involves a review of each compartment to check thenumber of cards remaining after a period of sales. This servicing isextremely time consuming particularly where large numbers of differentpictorial illustrations are represented on individual cards as iscommon.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide amultiple function postcard device for efficient, relatively low costdisplay and sale of postcards.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple functionpostcard device in accordance with the preceding object which can berelatively easily produced at high speeds and relativelylow cost perindividual unit.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a multiple functionpostcard device in accordance with the preceding object which presents aplurality of picture postcards in an integral unit suitable for use ascollectors items.

According to the invention, a multiple function postcard device forefficient display and sale of postcards comprises :a single sheet ofpaper material. The sheet has a plurality of individual postcard panelsextending in a row with each of the postcard panels having a graphicillustration on a front side of the sheet and printed material on a backside of the sheet. An advertising panel is removably attached to one endof the row and carries lettering on the front side of the sheet foradvertising and promoting the sale of the row of cards. A plurality oftear lines are formed in the sheet separating each one of the panelsfrom another enabling the postcard panels to be easily separated fromthe sheet by the hands of a user. The tear lines are arrangedsubstantially parallel to each other. Means are provided on theadvertising panel for hanging the sheet with the advertising paneluppermost and the postcard panels extending downwardly substantially ina vertically extending row. Preferably the sheet is fiat and extends ina single plane enabling display of all of the postcards on the sheetmerely by hanging the device from a suitable hook.

It is an important feature of this invention that a single inexpensivehook can be used to merchandise a plurality of different graphicallyillustrated postcards thereby minimizing the size and cost of displayracks. Since a plurality of cards, each preferably having a differentgraphic illustration, are produced on a single sheet, the cost ofseparating, banding and displaying the postcards is substantiallyreduced. In fact, when a sheet carrying six different postcards isproduced in accordance with this invention, the cost per card ofseparating, handing and packaging can be reduced by at least 50%. Thecost of vending the device of this invention is greatly reduced sincethe paper work involved in invoicing, shipping, etc. is greatly reducedover similar costs involving individual unit cards.

Still another feature of the present invention is the opening of newmarkets for picture postcards. Selected collections of scenic views of aparticular location can be promoted for sale as collectors items orsouvenirs of a users visit.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention aremore fully described in the following specification when read in thelight of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a multiple functionpostcard device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view thereof.

With reference now to the drawings and more particularly FIG. 1, amultiple function postcard device 10 is illustrated. The device 10 hassix postcard panels 12 arranged in a row with each panel carryingdifferent pictorial representations on a first side of sheet 11. Therear side of each postcard panel 12 is preferably printed as aconventional postcard having stamp blocks 13 and message divider lines14 as is conventional in the picture postcard art. The postcard panels12 preferably form a row of rectangular postcards as shown and haveattached to their upper end an advertising panel 15 which is preferablyprinted with advertising and promotional material for the cards at leaston its front side as shown in FIG. 1. The rear side of the advertisingpanel 15 shown in FIG. 2, may be blank or printed with other promotionalmaterial.

Preferably the postcards formed by each panel 12 have a length of fromabout 4 /2 to 8" and a width of from about 3 to 4 /2 as is conventionalin the art.

Tear lines 16 extend preferably parallel to each other and between eachpostcard panel and the advertising panel to allow for ease of separationof the row of postcards from each other and from the advertising panel.A hole 17 passes from front to backside of the integral sheet 11 toallow the device to be hung from a hook for display enabling all of thepictorial representations to be presented to the eye of a prospectivepurchaser as a collection.

The sheet 11 which comprises the base of the strip or row of panels isintegral and preferably made of a paper material of the typeconventionally used for picture postcards. Thus, the paper material isrelatively stiff and the entire row of advertising and postcard panelsis substantially flat or planar.

The tear lines 16 formed in the sheet 11 are preferably rows ofperforations but may be spaced pressed lines or dots or other weakeningmeans. Preferably the tear lines 16 leave the sheet 11 substantiallystiff and planar so that the device can be displayed as a unit showingeach of the different pictorial representations of the picturepostcards.

The postcards formed by the panels 12 preferably each contain differentscenic or other pictorial representations. However, in some cases it maybe desirable that each card carry the same representation. The pictorialrepresentations can be lithographed simultaneously along with printingof the advertising panel and back of the sheet. A plurality of devices10 can be formed and cut from each other during production. Similarlythe hole or aperture 17 can be punched during the cutting process.

In use, the device 10 is preferably hung along a vertical axis from ahook passing through aperture 17. Thus, a plurality of postcards can bedisplayed using only a single hook which can be mounted on a relativelysmall panel or other support without the need for a bulky rack tocontain individual cards.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that manyvariations thereof are possible. For example, although six postcardpanels have been described, larger or smaller numbers of postcards maybe formed in a row in accordance with this invention. Although a singlerow of postcards is shown in the preferred embodiment having twoparallel side edges, it is also possible to form two adjacent side byside rows of postcards on a single integral sheet of paper material inaccordance with this invention. In view of the many variations possible,this invention is to be limited only by the spirit and scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple function postcard device for efficient display and sale ofpostcards, said device consisting essentially of a single sheet of papermaterial,

said sheet comprising a plurality of individual postcard panels arrangedsubstantially in a single plane and extending in a row,

each of said postcard panels having a graphic illustration on a frontside of said sheet and printed material on a backside of said sheet,

an advertising panel removably attached to one end of said row andcarrying indicia on said front side of said sheet,

a plurality of tear lines formed in said sheet separating each one ofsaid panels from another whereby said postcard panels can be easilyseparated from said sheet by a user,

and means on said advertising panel for hanging said sheet with saidadvertising panel uppermost and said postcard panels extendingdownwardly therefrom in said row and having substantially all of thegraphic illustrations presented to the eye in their correct viewingpositions when the row is so arranged.

2. A postcard means in accordance with claim -1 wherein sides of saidpostcard panels define parallel sides of said sheet and said hangingmeans comprises an aperture defined by said advertising panel.

3. A postcard device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said postcardpanels have a length of about 4 /2 to 8 inches and a width of about 3 to4 /2 inches.

4. A postcard device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tear linesare parallel to each other and comprise lines of perforations.

'5. A multiple function postcard device for efficient display andvending of postcards, said device consisting essentially of a singlesheet of paper material, said sheet comprising a plurality of individualpostcard panels arranged substantially in a single plane and extendingin a flat row,

each of said postcard panels having a length of about 4 /2 to 8 inchesand a width of about 3 to 4 /2 inches and carrying a graphicillustration on a front side of said sheet and printed material on abackside of said sheet, 7

an advertising panel removably attached to one end of said row andcarrying indicia on said front side of said sheet,

a plurality of perforated tear lines formed in said sheet separatingeach one of said panels from another whereby said postcard panels can beeasily separated from said sheet by a user to form individual postcards,

said tear lines being arranged substantially parallel to each other,

and means comprising an aperture on said advertising panel for hangingsaid sheet with said advertising panel uppermost and said postcardpanels extending downwardly therefrom in said row and havingsubstantially all of the graphic illustrations presented to the eye intheir correct viewing positions when the row is so arranged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 817,663 4/1906Pifer 22992.8 X 2,345,342 3/1944 Kahn 22974 2,365,789 12/1944 Weinschenk22992.8

FOREIGN PATENTS 9,023 of 1904 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner.

1. A MULTIPLE FUNCTION POSTCARD DEVICE FOR EFFICIENT DISPLAY AND SALE OFPOSTCARDS, SAID DEVICE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SINGLE SHEET OF PAPERMATERIAL, SAID SHEET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL POSTCARDPANELS ARRANED SUBSTANTIALLY IN A SINGLE PLANE AND EXTENDING IN A ROW,EACH OF SAID POSTCARD PANELS HAVING A GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION ON A FRONTSIDE OF SAID SHEET AND PRINTED MATERIAL ON A BACKSIDE OF SAID SHEET, ANADVERTISING PANEL REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO ONE END OF SAID ROW AND CARRYINGINDICIA ON SAID FRONT SIDE OF SAID SHEET, A PLURALITY OF TEAR LINESFORMED IN SAID SHEET SEPARATING EACH ONE OF SAID PANELS FROM ANOTHERWHEREBY SAID